The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1887-08-17
BIG prrrseuac FIRE.
The Heart OF the Great City Is De-
vastated by Flames

stood helplessly by for three hours last night
and witnessed the destruction of three of the
most valuable buildings in Pitfsburg, Ms
sonic Hail. Samuel Hamilton's Music Hail
and Schmidt 4 Fridays liquor store Tie:
alarm was souaded from the box at flfth
avenue and SmithfeId street al $50 O'Clock,
and all the engines in the district were ON
the scene in less than 10 minutes The fire
was found TO be burning in the basement OF
that part of Masonic Hall occupied by Hen
~ Hoffman. npholsterer and furniture deaf
er, and originated from some excelsi or stove
therein.
A dense volume of smoke was the first
evidence of the magnitude of the work that
greeted the firemen There were no early
indications of stubbornness and the tiremen
sent several streams of water into the base
ment. expecting usual results. Still the
volumes of smoke issued from every crevice.
La Is minutes blaze of dark lurid fire shot
out into the darkness in the store room OF
Campbell & Dick In a few moments
stream of water broke the plate glass win
dows ON its way to quench the advancing
fire. The stream was powerless 10 check 1t,
however and another and another followed
IT, but the flames had found the shelves
burdened with light calicoes, muslins and
cotton goods and was devouring them re-
gardless of the many efforts of the firemen
to drown them out.
A VAST SHEET OF FLAME.
The interior of the great store room, filled
as it was with articles of a cumbus;ibie ma
ture, WAS soon sheet os seething flames and
for a half hour the combined efforts OF the
firemen, front and rear. were powerless 10
extinguished it.
Meantime the fire had extended TO the
buildings in the rear of Masonic Hall An
other alarm was sent ia followed by another
till every engine in the city was on the ground
and an appeal was sent to Allegheny for
assistance.
Once1he flames had broken through the
floor of the first story they had little difficult
ty in extending 10 the second floor. and IN a
few minutes both floors were burning at the
same time shortly before IL o'clock they
found an approach to the roof through the
meium of the elevator hume. In 10 min
utes more the top of the building was aiiame
and the hook and ladder truck was unlim-
bered and brought into requisition. doz-
en- men mounted TO the roof and took posi-
ton on the ladder. and in Is minutes the
fire on the roof was under apparent control.
Soon the Hoffman store room, adjoining
the store of Campbell a Dick, was one sheet
of flame. In 10 minutes S30.eo0 worth of
goods were burned.
TAKING 4 FATAL HOLD.
Again the fire obtained possession of the
roof. and this time it refused 10 be swept oil
by the streams of water thrown upon IT,.
They leaped up, and still higher, till they
toak hold upon the woodwork of the sup
posed fire-proof Hamilton building. The
glass broke and they entered the building
and took hold upon the flooring, the wains-
coating aud the timbers under the roof. The
west wind cooled the brows of the painting
firemen, but it was an inspiration TO the
flames and with renewed vigor and volume
they took hold of the tower of the building
and in a moment were flying in the winds
with the flag From the rear of the building
a pillar of flame burst forth like huge vol
ume of water and appalled, and disheartened
the fremen for moment. 1t rushed for
ward and il took hold of the tower at Its
base Finally the foundation supports were
burned off and the conical tower fell with a
crash TO the street 200 feet below.
THE PATH OF RUIN.
Meantime the flames had been working
downward through the flooring of the build
ing and at II o'clock the four upper floors
were completely enveloped. the flames issii-
ing from the front and rear windows at the
same time The building was furnished
with hose on every floor and efforts were
made TO man them, but they proved to be
Intellectual. as the flames moved SO rapidly
that they drove the volunteers and firemen
from the halls and out into the street.
At 1890 O'Clock this morning it became
evident that the Schmidt X Friday building
could not he saved from the power of the
fire as little volumes of flame were seen TO
issue from the windows al short intervals.
At o'clock great volumes of flame burst
out of the center OF the roof This blaze
came from the ventilating and lightning
tlume. which on this occasion served the
purpose of a blowpipe. From the fiume the
lire burned steadily toward the front of the
building, but was confined largely to the
seventh and eighth floors.
The Hamilton building is badly damaged
from the fourth to the eighth floors by fire,
while the entire building is seriously damag-
ed by water.
The sparks that were 50 generally dlstrib-
uted at midnight were carried to the Opera
House. which caught fire as did also Harris
theater and other buildings oircumjaeent,
but the prompt action of the people on the
roofs speedily extinguished the ineiPient
flames.
At midnight the prospect OF a general con-
fagration was so great that the occupants
of the business houses on both sides of the
master Larkin called in all the delivery wag-
ons and summoned his employees in order to
be ready to remove the mails and valuabies
to place of safety.
THE BURNED BUILDINGS.
Masonic Hall fronts on Fifth avenue for
90 feet and is three stories in height. On the
ground floor Campbell and Dick, dry goods
merchants occupied the remaining apart
ment The second floor, once public hall
was occupied by Campbell and Dick, while
the third floor was taken up with the lodge
rooms of the Masonic Order. The hall prop
erty line ran half way to Virgin alley. Back
of it, extending to the alley, Campbell <
Dick owned three story brick building
which was connected with their main stores
Ii stood flush with the eastern line of the
hall property and below it was two frame
buildings occupied chiefly by Italians.
The Hamilton building, site and all, cost
about 500 900. OF this sum over so 900 was
paid for the site The block contained lol
rooms, and all of them were occupied by ten
ants of the most desirable character. The
building was insured for $4,000. Ii wa:
eight stories in height, and the most impos
ing business structure in the city, facing ..
feet on Fifth avenue and extending back to
Virgin Alley.
The Schmidt Il Friday building on Fiitl
avenue is 81 feet front, facing on the aveuut
and cost 10000. 1t has 50 rooms, of which
40 were occupied when the fire took place